The conservation and management of amphibians in UK temporary ponds, with particular reference to natterjack toads

Amphibians have complex life cycles which involve the use of terrestrial andaquatic habitats and, whilst the adults spend most of their time on land, theyreturn to water each spring to breed. The conservation of these speciesrequires not only the maintenance of their breeding ponds but also thesurrounding terrestrial habitat. All native species make use of temporaryponds to a greater or lesser extent (Griffiths 1997). Typically, the breedingponds fill with water during the autumn and winter months and graduallybecome shallower during the spring and summer, drying up completely insome years. The amphibian larval stage has evolved to take advantage of theflush of food which follows the filling of a temporary pond but it has to growand develop rapidly to metamorphose into the adult stage before the ponddries up. It is only by drying out that such ponds remain fish-free and usuallysupport fewer invertebrate predators than permanent ponds